Apple has released iPadOS 26 for supported iPad models, introducing a major redesign, new multitasking features, and deeper Apple Intelligence integration. This update arrives alongside iOS 26, macOS Tahoe, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26, and continues Apple’s strategy of aligning iPadOS with both iPhone and Mac while giving it unique tools for productivity and creativity.
Beyond the headline features, iPadOS 26 also includes security updates and system optimizations that improve performance and stability across the lineup. For users with newer models, the update unlocks a wave of intelligent features and customization options. For others, it signals the gradual phasing out of older devices, as the 7th-generation iPad is no longer supported.
Liquid Glass design
The most visible change in iPadOS 26 is the new Liquid Glass interface. This design language refreshes the Lock Screen, Home Screen, Control Center, and core apps with translucent layers, dynamic tinting, and more fluid animations. The update makes widgets and notifications appear integrated into the background while keeping key information easy to read. Apple has extended the same design philosophy across iOS 26 and watchOS 26, but the larger display on iPad makes the depth effects more noticeable.
Multitasking and window management
Apple has taken another step toward Mac-like productivity by overhauling multitasking. Apps can now be freely resized and positioned on the screen, expanding beyond the older Split View and Slide Over system. Stage Manager has been improved with smoother transitions and more responsive external display support, giving users more flexibility when working across multiple apps. These refinements bring iPadOS closer to a desktop-style workflow without abandoning its tablet identity.
New and redesigned apps
Several apps debut on iPad with this release. Preview is now a dedicated app for working with PDFs and images, complete with Apple Pencil markup tools and autofill. The Phone app also arrives on iPad, supporting call screening, Hold Assist, and Live Translation, which can automatically interpret conversations in real time. Apple has also expanded creative apps such as Freeform and Notes, adding new templates and collaboration features that take advantage of the larger display.
Apple Intelligence features
iPadOS 26 expands Apple Intelligence across more system apps and workflows. Live Translation is now integrated into Messages, FaceTime, and Phone, while generative tools like Genmoji and Image Playground allow users to create custom visuals directly within conversations. Shortcuts gain smarter, context-aware actions, letting users automate tasks with less manual setup. Many of these features require newer iPad models with an A12 Bionic chip or later, and some advanced capabilities remain exclusive to higher-end devices.
Files, dock, and creative tools
The Files app receives long-requested updates, including better folder management, customizable views, and the ability to pin folders directly in the Dock. This makes quick access to downloads or project folders far more seamless. For creative professionals, iPadOS 26 improves background task handling, enhances audio input selection for apps, and introduces higher-fidelity local capture for video and audio recording. Together, these refinements make the iPad more capable for pro-level editing and production.
Compatibility
Apple has confirmed that iPad (7th generation) will not receive iPadOS 26, marking the end of support for that model. All other devices with at least the A12 Bionic chip remain compatible. As with previous updates, some features are restricted to newer models, particularly those tied to Apple Intelligence. Users considering an upgrade may want to compare performance improvements with the new iPad Pro lineup, which ships with iPadOS 26 pre-installed.
Full release notes
Apple’s official release notes provide a complete breakdown of every change, including smaller refinements and bug fixes.
PadOS 26 brings a new design, intelligent experiences, and big improvements to how you can be productive. A new design with Liquid Glass brings a more expressive and seamless experience to your Lock Screen and Home Screen, as well as apps, navigation, and controls. A powerful and intuitive new windowing system makes it easier to control, organize, and switch between app windows. Apple Intelligence is integrated into even more places, giving you the ability to learn more about the content on your screen, powering Live Translation features to help you communicate across languages, and unlocking new actions in Shortcuts so you can get more done fast. iPadOS 26 also includes big updates to managing files and working with audio and video, introduces new apps like Preview and Journal, and so much more.
Design
- Liquid Glass makes interactions across iPadOS more delightful, refracts and reflects content in real time, and brings even more focus to what you’re viewing on your screen
- Adaptive time on the Lock Screen fluidly resizes to the available space on your Lock Screen, complementing the subjects of your photos and adapting as notifications and Live Activities appear
- Spatial scenes let you add a new 3D effect to your photo wallpapers, bringing them to life when you move your iPad
- App icons get a fresh new look with Liquid Glass, and there are more ways to customize them with updated light or dark appearances, new color-tinted icons, and a new clear look
Windowing
- Powerful new windowing system allows you to fluidly resize apps and place windows exactly where you want
- Window controls makes it easier to close, minimize, and make apps full screen
- Window tiling lets you arrange apps side by side, in thirds, or in quarters so you can work across more apps at once
- Exposé lets you see all your open windows at a glance
- Menu bar offers easy access to all of an app’s commands, or you can use search to quickly find a specific command
Files
- Updated list view with resizable columns and collapsible folders displays even more of your files and their details
- Open with allows you to choose the app you open a file in and, you can set the default app for a file or file type
- Folders in the Dock let you access your files and folders from anywhere
Audio & Video Recording
- Audio input picker in Control Center makes it easy to choose the right microphone for each app, including on the web
- Local capture records the high-quality audio and video from your iPad while on any video conferencing call, letting you produce an interview or podcast
- Background tasks allow for long running tasks to continue when you switch apps and are displayed as Live Activities so you always know what’s running
New Apps on iPadOS
- Preview is a dedicated app to view and edit PDFs that offers full support for Apple Pencil and powerful features like AutoFill, a document scanner, image editing, and various options for export
- Journal is an app where you can jot down your thoughts, illustrate, and capture moments using photos, videos, audio recordings, places, and more. Journal with your keyboard, or create entries in your own handwriting using Apple Pencil. Multiple journals let you keep entries for different aspects of your life separate, flexible layouts make entries feel beautiful and personal, and a beautiful map view makes it easy to find entries based on their location
- Apple Games is the all-in-one destination for gaming on your iPad. Access your entire game library, including new and past downloads from the App Store and Apple Arcade, and find recommendations for new games based on ones you love. Plus, challenge friends, track scores in real time, and see what else your friends are playing
- Phone app lets you make and take calls from your iPhone and use new features like Call Screening,Hold Assist, and Live Translation
Apple Intelligence
- Live Translation
- In Messages, automatically translate incoming texts, including group messages, and send a response in your preferred language — it’ll be translated when it’s delivered
- In FaceTime, live translated captions appear on screen during the call
- In Phone, audio is translated and spoken out loud in real time, and you can follow along with a transcription when the call is on speaker
- With AirPods, hear a translation hands-free when someone nearby speaks to you in a different language
- Shortcuts
- Intelligent actions let you take advantage of Writing Tools, Image Playground, and other Apple Intelligence features within your shortcut
- Use model is a new action that lets you tap directly into Apple Intelligence models to get responses that feed into the rest of your shortcut, or use ChatGPT if you want to tap into its broad world knowledge and expertise
- Genmoji & Image Playground
- Make Genmoji by mixing two emoji together, or by combining an emoji with a description to create what you have in mind
- Choose expressions for your Genmoji of people, making characters look happy, shocked, and more
- Personal attributes like hairstyle and facial hair can be modified for the Genmoji that are inspired by people from your Photos library
- More styles with ChatGPT lets you explore additional styles like Oil Painting and Anime, or you can tap Any Style to describe the image and style you want
Photos
- Separate tabs for Library and Collections offers easier navigation, and you can access Search in every view
- Collections view can be customized with three different layout options, and it’s easy to collapse and reorder the collections
- Recognition for events like concerts and sports lets you see the details of an event and access related content
Messages
- Screening for unknown senders helps you to stay in control of who can reach you, and puts screened messages in a new area of your conversation list so they’re out of your way
- Backgrounds can be added to conversations to make them more personal, with the option to use built-in backgrounds, your own photos, or images made with Image Playground
- Polls can help you find out everyone’s availability for an upcoming dinner plan or decide on a group gift
- Typing indicators in groups make it easy to know exactly who is about to chime in
Protecting Kids Online
- Communication Requests give kids the ability to send requests to their parents when there are new phone numbers they want to be able to communicate with
- Convert existing accounts to Child Accounts easily to take full advantage of all available child safety protections
- Age-appropriate experiences in apps gives parents the option to enable kids to share their age range with third-party apps, so they can access content and features suited to their age group
- Communication Safety expands to intervene when nudity is detected on live FaceTime calls, and to blur out nudity in Shared Albums in Photos
Accessibility
- Accessibility Nutrition Labels in App Store product pages tell you if accessibility features like VoiceOver, Voice Control, and Captions are available within apps and games before you download them
- Accessibility Reader makes text in any app easier to read by giving you new ways to customize text with extensive options for font, color, and spacing, as well as support for Spoken Content
- Braille Access helps you take notes, read documents, access Live Captions, launch apps, and perform various other tasks effortlessly with your connected braille display
Other
- New Reed Pen enables a traditional calligraphy experience when drawing in apps like Notes
- Notes lets you import and export Markdown formatted files
- FaceTime has a reimagined landing page that features personalized Contact Posters for your recent callers and video messages that play as you scroll
- Reminder Suggestions use Apple Intelligence to identify relevant tasks when you share an email, website, note, or other text to the Reminders app
- Custom snooze options let you adjust how long you can snooze when your alarm goes off, with options between 1 and 15 minutes
- Password History provides a timeline of changes you’ve made to an account in Passwords, including a history of past passwords and generated strong passwords
For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit:
https://support.apple.com/100100
Some features may not be available in all regions or on all iPad models. To learn more, please visit:
https://www.apple.com/ios/feature-availability/
